There was a photoshoot, but I haven't seen a pic yet:
Hi Brian: The unicycle story is in today’s Hamilton Spectator. Here’s an
electronic copy.
Cheers and good luck on Sunday, Lise
It was the ultimate humiliation. I was pedalling my mountain
bike up the rocky hill to the finish line of
last year's Paris to Ancaster race when a man on
a, gulp, unicycle breezed by me.
The crowd at the finish line went wild, clapping and
cheering him on. I wasn't so supportive.
"I can't believe I got beaten by a #&%# unicycle,"
I grumbled to my husband afterwards.
Still, I had to admire the guy. After all, I
know how difficult those tipsy one-wheeled bikes are to master.
As I kid, I woke up one Christmas morning to
find a unicycle under the tree. It took hours of
practising before I developed enough balance and co-ordination to ride
along a smooth road.
That the Paris to Ancaster unicyclist had finished a 60-km
race on a course of rocky pathways and soupy mud
was astonishing.
I learned later there were four unicyclists in last year's
race. Whitby area unicyclist Ryan Atkins beat me by about
two minutes. Five minutes ahead of him was London resident
Brian Mackenzie, the first unicyclist to finish. Mercifully, the other
two unicyclists were behind me.
It took Mackenzie three hours, 53 minutes to do the
race, placing 762nd out of 930 cyclists many of whom
were fit guys on expensive mountain bikes.
I wanted to learn more about this one-wheeled wonder so
I tracked him down through a race organizer.
Mackenzie, 30, is president of the London Unicycling Club (
www.londonunicyclingclub.ca). He also just finished making a 30-minute
DVD
about extreme unicycling (www.LBMmultimedia.com).
The avid mountain biker took up unicycling three years ago
because he wanted to see if he could master the
tricky bike. It takes about 10 hours to learn and
many more hours to become skilled at trail riding over
logs, rocks and roots.
During the Paris to Ancaster race, he averaged 15 km
an hour. "I was pretty happy," said Mackenzie, an Internet
technology student. "It was quicker than I was expecting."
Unicycling is a fantastic cardio workout, he added. "It's the
only thing I do to stay fit."
Naturally, unicycling is amazing for balance. It's also excellent for
working the core of the body, since riders twist their
waist to manoeuvre the bike. Legs also benefit. Mackenzie, who
will ride again in this year's Paris to Ancaster race,
practises three times a week in winter and every day
in the warm months.
Rides last anywhere from 30 minutes to six hours.
12th Annual Classic Paris to Ancaster Race
When: Sunday, April 17
Race routes: Riders have a choice -- the 60-km Paris
to Ancaster race or the 30-km Harrisburg to Ancaster race.
Difficulty: Both races are billed as a family event and
are suitable for beginner to expert riders. Organizers expect to
attract more than 1,000 cyclists.
Cost: Pre-registration is $44 for either race, with an additional
$5 if busing is needed for the Paris to Ancaster
event. There's no busing fee for the Harrisburg to Ancaster
event. Racers can enter up to the day of the
race, but the cost is higher for those signing up
on race day. For race and registration details, visit
www.parisancaster.com or ask at your local bike store.
Extras: Organizers provide a T-shirt for the first 500 registered
riders, lunch afterwards, emergency breakdown assistance, baggage
transfer to the
finish line and chip timing to ensure accurate results.
STORYID=20050
--
Brian MacKenzie - LAN Solo
'TRAINING WHEEL NOT REQUIRED DVD - NOW AVAILABLE!'
(HTTP://WWW.LBMMULTIMEDIA.COM)
'Unicycle Product Reviews'
(http://londonunicyclingclub.ca/unicycleReviews.aspx)
*120* reviews on *77* products, never make an uninformed purchase again!
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